Animal Abuse has traditionally been a very overlooked crime.  All to often, even today, when one hears of a child abusing an animal, you are met with traditional responses such as "Boys will be boys" or "They'll grow out of it" or "Kids always do that."   Yet finally society is waking up to the realities of Animal Abuse.  Studies have proven the correlation between early Animal Abuse and later violent crimes.  Organizations within law enforcement and criminology use Animal Abuse as a determining factor of potential violence of a suspect/subject. 

The recent cases in the news of random attacks on high school students and children, have left dozens dead, even more wounded - and a nation in shock as to what happened.  Yet, studies prove that in each and every case - without exception, Animal Abuse was present BEFORE the final act of violence. 

Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty against animals often move on to their fellow humans. One thing is becoming clear above all else, and this cannot be said strongly enough:

If we ignore Animal Abuse, we allow the possibility to become a reality that these perpetrators emotional instability will escalate into tragedy, often times in epidemic proportions. 

Do you need or want further proof?  Following are just a "few" examples of cases where Animal Abuse was ignored and left to fester into human tragedy.

REPORTS FROM POLICE CASE FILES 

"Russell Weston Jr., tortured and killed 12 cats, by burning, cutting their tails, paws, ears off, put toxic chemicals in their eyes, blinding them, forcing them to eat poison, hanging them from trees; the noose loose enough to create a slow and painful death, as the cat/kitten struggles to free itself as the noose gets tighter with each attempt. Later killed 2 officers at our Nation's Capitol."

 "Jeffery Dahmer loved to dissect animals (he learned this in school).  Later he dissected boys, and kept their body parts in the refrigerator. Murdered 17 men." 

"Kip Kinkel, 15-years-old,  on May 21, 1998 in Springfield, Oregon;  set a live cat on fire and dragged the innocent creature through the main street of town. He walked into his high school cafeteria and opened fire on his classmates. Two classmates were killed and 22 others injured, four critically. Later that day, police found his parents shot to death in their home."

"Albert De Salvo, the "Boston Strangler," would place a dog and cat in a crate with a partition between them.  After starving the animals for several days, he would remove the partition and watch them kill each other.  He raped and killed 13 women by strangulation. He would often pose the bodies in a shocking manner after their murders." 

"Richard Allen Davis set numerous cats on fire. He killed all of Polly Klaus' animals before abducting & murdering Polly Klaus, aged 12, from her bedroom." 

"Eleven-year-old Andrew Golden, 13-year-old Mitchell Johnson, tortured and killed dogs. A friend of Golden stated that "he shoots dogs all the time with a .22."  On March 24, 1998, in Jonesboro, Arkansas; Golden and Johnson shot and killed four students and one teacher during a fire drill at their school."

 "Prior to committing multiple murders, Luke Woodham, age 16, wrote in his personal journal that he and an accomplice beat, burned and tortured his dog, Sparkle, to death.  Woodham said it was "true beauty." He poured liquid fuel down his dog's throat and set fire to her neck, both inside and outside. On 10/1/1977, Woodham stabbed his mother to death and then went to his high school where he shot and killed two classmates -- two girls aged 16 and 17, and injured seven others. In June 1998, Woodham was found guilty of three murders and seven counts of aggravated assault. He was sentenced to three life sentences and an additional 20 years for each assault." 

"Theodore Robert Bundy was forced to witness animal cruelty by his grandfather. He later killed thirty-three women."

 "Michael Cartier pulled numerous rabbit's legs out of their sockets when he was four years old and threw a kitten through a closed window. He went on to shoot Kristin Lardner three times in the head, killing her." 

"Henry Lee Lucas killed numerous animals and had sex with their corpses. He killed his mother, common law wife and an unknown number of people." 

"Edward Kemperer cut up two cats.  He later killed his grandparents, his mother and seven other women." 

"Richard Speck threw a bird into a ventilator fan. Killed eight women." 

"Randy Roth taped a cat to a car's engine and used an industrial sander on a frog.  Killed two of his wives and attempted to kill a third." 

"David Richard Davis shot and killed two healthy ponies, threw a wine bottle at a pair of kittens and hunted with illegal methods.  Murdered his wife, Shannon Mohr Davis, for insurance money." 

"Peter Kurten, the Dusseldorf Monster, tortured dogs, and practiced bestiality while killing the animal. Murdered or attempted to murder over 50 men, women and children." 

"Richard Trenton Chase, "The Vampire Killer of Sacramento," bit the heads off birds, drained animals for their blood, killed animals for their organs, and later killed six people in random attacks. One police officer who was at the scene of the first murder, confessed to having nightmares about the crime or months afterwards." 

"The Kobe Killer, an as yet unnamed 15-year-old boy in Japan, beheaded a cat and strangled several pigeons. Decapitated 11-year-old Jun Hase, and battered to death a 10-year-old girl with a hammer, and assaulted three other children in separate attacks." 

"Richard William Leonard's grandmother forced him to kill and mutilate cats and kittens when he was a child.  He later killed Stephen Dempsey with a bow and arrow. He also killed Ezzedine Bahmad by slashing his throat." 

"Tom Dillion murdered people's pets.  He shot and killed Jamie Paxton, aged 21; Claude Hawkins, aged 49; Donald Welling, aged 35; Kevin Loring, aged 30; and Gary Bradley, aged 44."

 "At 9 years old, Eric Smith strangled a neighbor's cat.  At 13 years old, he bludgeoned four-year-old Derrick Robie to death. Smith lured the little boy into the woods, choked him, sodomized him with a stick, then beat him to death with a rock." 

"When Jack Bassenti's dog had puppies, he buried all but one of them alive. He later raped and murdered three women." 

"David Berkowitz, "Son of Sam," poisoned his mother's parakeet out of jealousy. He later shot thirteen young men and women. Six people died and at least two suffered permanent disabilities." 

"Arthur Shawcross repeatedly threw a kitten into a lake until the kitten drowned from exhaustion. Killed a young girl. Then, after serving 15-1/2 years in prison, he killed 11 more women." 

"Michael Perry decapitated a neighbor's dog. He later killed his parents, his infant nephew and two neighbors." 

"Jason Massey killed cats, dogs and cows. Killed his thirteen year old stepsister & a fourteen year old boy." 

"Patrick Sherrill stole neighborhood pets and encouraged his dog to attack them. Killed 14 people at his workplace." 

"Keith Hunter Jesperson, "The Happy Face Killer," strangled a cat. He is known to have killed at least one woman." 

"Joel Steinburg refused medical treatment for his adopted daughter Lisa's pet rabbit when it broke its leg. He later killed her; when she was found, Lisa had extensive bruises all over her body from repeated abuse."

HOW CAN WE HELP?

1)    Get involved.  There are many wonderful organizations that need your time and help in spreading the word and educating the public about Animal Abuse.  There are many links provided for organizations on my links page, or search your local yellow pages for organizations in your area.

2)    Stop turning the other way.  It's time that we as a society stopped making excuses for Animal Abusers.  It is NOT normal for kids to torture animals, they will NOT "grow  out of it."  If you know  of someone involved in abusing animals, contact the proper authorities immediately.

3)    Teach your children to respect animals.  Show  them that all living things are equal in the need for life's basic commodities such as food, shelter and love.  Children learn by actions, not by words. 

4)    Write your congressman and other public officials encouraging tougher Animal Cruelty laws.  Let them know that you will not tolerate their ignorance on this subject and insist that they become aware of the dangers of ignoring this all too common problem.